Definitions

tōng (onom.) thump; thud

Etymology phono-semantic

mouth

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is a phono-semantic compound, combining the mouth radical on the left (indicating a phonetic transcription of a sound) with the right component (tōng), which provides its exact pronunciation. It was coined to mimic a resonant, hollow thumping noise, like an object striking a hollow container or heavy pounding on a thick wooden door. Purely onomatopoeic, it carries no abstract meanings and functions only as a descriptive sound word in writing.